Old timers? day a success | Taranaki Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Taranaki

The Stratford Rugby and Sports Club celebrated Old Timers' Day in grand style on Saturday with a variety of events and welcome guests. Prop Gordon Slater, who played 180 matches for Taranaki and six for the All Blacks, was guest speaker for the day and entertained a large crowd at the clubrooms with motivational anecdotes. Soon after, the boys in red and black headed to Victoria Park for an afternoon of hotly-contested games. The Senior As, Bs and 4ths, as well as the Under 20s all had home games and a large support crowd gathered to cheer them on. The Senior A side took on top-four team, New Plymouth Old Boys and welcomed All Black Jason Eaton and Hurricanes Brendan Haami and Lifeimi Mafi to the squad which really fired up the Stratford side. The team played a stellar game and nearly upset the Old Boys, only going down by one point, the final score resting at 25-24. The afternoon's games were followed by more celebrations at the clubrooms, with a farm supply auction, a pig on the spit and karaoke which was heard long into the night!